Gender and Pay at Work

Comparing Male and Female Salaries at Specific Jobs

While there is a significant difference in the reported salaries of men and women in a certain subset of jobs, for the most part, men and women who work at the same jobs earn within four to six percent of one another. PayScale surveyed twelve common jobs to look closely at how gender affects pay when you compare men and women of similar backgrounds working in the same jobs.

Top 5 Industries for Men

Rank

Industry

% Female in Industry

% Male in Industry

1 - tie

Utilities

28%

72%

1 - tie

Construction

28%

72%

3

Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas Extraction

32%

68%

4 - tie

Manufacturing

34%

66%

4 - tie

Transportation and Warehousing

34%

66%

Top 5 Industries for Women

Rank

Industry

% Female in Industry

% Male in Industry

1

Health Care and Social Assistance

79%

21%

2

Educational Services

63%

37%

3

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

61%

39%

4

Finance and Insurance

55%

45%

5

Retail

52%

48%

Software Architect

In today's economy, technology is hot, and talented Software Architects are in high demand. But only 5% of them are female. After adjusting for education, experience and specific compensable skills, men and women report a 12% difference in pay for performing this job.Median Salary: $113,000
95% Male / 5% Female Median Male Salary: $113,000Median Female Salary (Controlled): $101,000Difference: +12% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $103,000

Civil Engineers

Even though Civil Engineers are some of the most modestly paid engineers around, they still earn decent money, with a median salary of $60,800 whether you're male or female. But Civil Engineers are mostly male – 87% to be exact. Why don't more women work in this job? Because fewer women study engineering. Again, an emphasis on guiding more female students into STEM majors is the only way to make these numbers equal.Median Salary: $83,900
87% Male / 13% Female Median Male Salary: $60,800Median Female Salary (Controlled): $60,800Difference: 0% Uncontrolled Female Salary: $58,700

Executive Chef

Even though women make up 48% of the employees in the Accommodation and Food Service Industry, 89% of Executive Chefs are men. Women who do earn the title of Executive Chef make $50,200 annually, compared to the median male salary of $54,900.Median Salary: $53,800
89% Male / 11% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $54,900Median Female Salary (Controlled): $50,200Difference: +9% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $44,600

Chief Executive

One of the key tenants of Sheryl Sandberg's best-selling book Lean In is the lack of women in executive leadership. Our data sees the same problem – only one out of five Chief Executives are female. Furthermore, even when we control the data to compare Chief Executives with the same experience, education and skills, women earn 13% less than men in the same role.Median Salary: $174,000
80% Male / 20% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $193,000Median Female Salary (Controlled): $170,000Difference: +13% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $99,200

Physician/Doctor, General Practice

Becoming a doctor requires a significant investment of both time and money, but it's an investment that pays off for both men and women. When compensable factors are accounted for, male and female physicians earn within 2% of each other, according to PayScale data. But the field is still dominated by men. Only 35% of General Physicians are female.Median Salary: $139,000
65% Male / 35% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $143,000Median Female Salary (Controlled): $140,000Difference: +2% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $132,000

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Stereotypes say that boys excel at math, but 44% of Certified Public Accountants are female. Even though the job can require long hours and be stressful, it's refreshing to see so many women using their math skills to earn a good living.Median Salary: $58,100
56% Male / 44% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $58,700Median Female Salary (Controlled): $55,800Difference: +5% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $56,400

Pharmacist

Pharmacists are one of the few jobs that are split right down the middle when it comes to gender. It's also a very high-paying job, with a median salary of over $100,000 and male and female salaries within three percent of one another.Median Salary: $109,500
50% Male / 50% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $111,000Median Female Salary (Controlled): $108,000Difference: +3% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $106,000

Secondary School Teacher

We think of teachers as being a predominantly female job, but at the secondary school level, women just edge men out, making up 56% of the workforce. Men still slightly out-earn women though, reporting a median income of $44,800 versus women's $42,900, a difference of about four percent.Median Salary: $44,100
44% Male / 56% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $44,800Median Female Salary (Controlled): $42,900Difference: +4% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $43,600

Social Worker

Social Workers have often topped our lists of stressful jobs that pay poorly. With a median salary of only $44,100, it's a career that people choose out of a desire to help change the world, not one people choose to earn a huge paycheck.Median Salary: $42,900
84% Male / 16% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $45,600Median Female Salary (Controlled): $44,200Difference: +3% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $42,400

Registered Nurse

Doctors may get all the glory, but it's the millions of nurses who really keep the healthcare industry moving. And since 89% of Registered Nurses are women, it's no wonder that the healthcare industry is the most popular for women overall – they make up 79% of the workforce.Median Salary: $55,500
11% Male / 89% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $56,200Median Female Salary (Controlled): $55,100Difference: +2% for menUncontrolled Female Salary: $55,400

HR Administrator

90% of HR Administrators are female, but with a median salary of just over $40,000 a year, it's another example of a field with low pay comprised mostly of women. Median pay for each gender is just about even – not surprising for a job whose responsibilities include knowing what everybody in a company is paid.Median Salary: $40,100
10% Male / 90% FemaleMedian Male Salary: $41,300Median Female Salary (Controlled): $41,200Difference: 0%Uncontrolled Female Salary: $40,000

Secretary

Sure, we like to think that we've come a long way since Mad Men days, but 97% of secretaries are female, and they definitely aren't all negotiating their way up the ladder like Joan. Only 39% of females working as secretaries report negotiating for a higher salary and/or better benefits, compared to 55% of males working the same job.Median Salary: $25,800
3% Male / 97% Female Median Male Salary: $26,100Median Female Salary (Controlled): $26,000Difference: 0% Uncontrolled Female Salary: $25,800